There are various known devices for fastening and adjusting lines on marine vessels, and particularly for fastening and adjusting a line suspending a fender. A fender is a soft bumper, typically made from a rubber-like material, or another material for absorbing impact, which in some instances is inflated, and is suspended on a line over the side of a marine vessel in order to protect the vessel when docked or rafted next to another vessel. The fender line is typically tied to a rail extending along the deck on the side of the vessel or to a cleat on the deck.
One known device for securing a fender line to a rail is called the "FEND-R-CLIP", which is basically a single piece of sheet metal, in which one end is bent into a c-shaped clip for attachment to the rail, and which has an elongated aperture for receiving the line. The elongated aperture is circular on one end and tapers down to a narrow width on the other end, so that the line can be pulled down through the aperture, and fixed in place by being squeezed between the tapered surfaces of the aperture. Although this is an inexpensive device, the line is not always easily pulled through the circular part of the aperture, and when fixing the line in place by jamming the line between the tapered sides of the aperture, the line can become frayed.
Another known device is the BUMPER BUDDY.RTM., manufactured by Idea Development Company of Issaquah, Wash. This device is made from a unitary piece of plastic, and includes a pair of c-shaped clip portions for attachment to a rail, and several apertures for running the line through the device, and a cleat portion for fixing the line in place after it is passed through the aperture. Although this device is relatively inexpensive to make, it is time-consuming to pass the line through the apertures and to then fix the line with the cleat portion. In addition, once the line is fixed in place, it is relatively difficult to adjust the position of the fender by pulling the line through the various apertures.
Another known device for supporting a fender is manufactured by NHS Marine Company in Florida, which has a plastic strap with a snapping lock mechanism for attachment of the strap to a rail. A metal portion defines a passageway for passing the line through the device, and a sliding metal roller with a knurled or ridged surface is seated within the passageway. As the line is pulled down through the passageway, the sliding metal roller is pulled down with the line so as to restrict the passageway and secure the line in place. The sliding metal roller can be difficult to manipulate, thus rendering adjustment of the fender line difficult too. The metal roller also tends to become jammed within the passageway, requiring the use of pliers or a similar tool to release the roller and the line.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for rapidly and easily fastening, releasing, and adjusting a line, such as a line suspending a fender on a marine vessel, which overcomes the drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art.